Glastonbury - a changing festival (Festivals in general)

Member Name: woodlice

Product:	Festivals in general
Date:	21/06/01 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wonderful

Disadvantages: very crowded

I have been going to Glastonbury festival for the past 11 years when it has been on.
We started off as a couple, being absolutely blown away by the experience of such a diverse community coming together to provide an amazing dip into a world that we would love to be reality.
We would spend all night wandering around, going from band to band, taking tea in a tent at 3.00 am, catching an impronto gig by some wonderful bands that are now mainstream, chilling out until sunrise, sleeping for a few hours and then returning to the fest to begin another day.
We have four children - they are all keen festival goers. Jake was 12 weeks old at his first festival, Bethy was just six, but Finn and Rowan had to wait until they were 6 months until they were initiated, and what an initiation - the muddiest and wettest year on record. Yes we survived!! - we pulled and pushed the two push chairs up and down the site with the mud gradually changing from a sea to sticky flapjack. Looking back on the pics we must have been mad, but you can be as mad as you like at Glastonbury and no one cares.
We have, over the years, seen the festival changing for the worst. Unfortunately, it is starting to attract a hard core of people who do not understand the reality and reason behind the spirit of Glastonbury - they are there to spoil, steal, fight and spoil it for the thousands of other chilled out, ok festival goers.
It is harder to find a spot to call your own. The alternative Green fields and Healing fields were once a place to find sanctuary from the hubbabub of Babylon, this has now gone - or is it that more and more people are seeking solice - is it a change in our society and a need for people to find this when they can't in the rat race.
The Sacred Space is now not so sacred - but it still retains is spirituality and freedom of expression and those who chill are respected.
I hope that the new seasons of Glastonbury starting in 2002 proves to be a return
to the former Glasto I new - we need to save it before it becomes too big.

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